The Archdiocese of Los Angeles and St. Anthony High School in Long Beach are asking a judge to throw out a gender-harassment and wrongful-termination lawsuit filed by a former director of admissions. Defense lawyers want all nine causes of action dismissed, with a hearing set for July 8 in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Defense asks court to toss case
In court papers filed with Judge Randolph M. Hammock, defense attorneys argue that former employee Aaron Bryant’s complaint does not state any viable legal claims and should be thrown out in its entirety. The filing also says the St. Anthony’s High School Foundation had already ceased operations before Bryant was hired and contends that holding religious entities liable in this situation would improperly stretch existing law, according to MyNewsLA.
Bryant's allegations
Bryant alleges he was hired in August 2022 and that his supervisor repeatedly made gender-based comments, assigned him punitive manual labor, and retaliated after he complained. The suit attributes to the supervisor statements such as “you would understand if you were a woman” and a warning that “I am going to make your life hell until you quit. Men have no business in this type of role.”
According to the complaint, Bryant was placed on an anxiety-related medical leave through April 30, 2025, later returned to work, and was then fired in May 2025, leaving him with lost wages and emotional distress, as reported by MyNewsLA.
What the law says
California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act, or FEHA, broadly bans workplace discrimination and harassment. When religious institutions are involved, though, courts often have to sort through a knot of statutory exemptions and constitutional protections related to religious freedom.
The California Civil Rights Department outlines FEHA’s scope and describes how courts balance anti-discrimination rules with religious liberties, an issue that could play a key role if the defense’s exemption arguments gain traction.
What’s next
The case is set to return to court at the July 8 hearing, where Judge Hammock will decide whether Bryant’s complaint survives or gets tossed. If the court sustains the demurrer without leave to amend, the lawsuit could end at this stage. If the demurrer is overruled, the case would move into discovery and further litigation.
